December 10th

More with Less in Altona

About 60 people gathered at the Community Exchange in Altona on November 23 for an event called, “The Upside-Down Economics of Jesus,” hosted by the Mennonite Church Manitoba Climate Action Working Group (CAWG). Participants from the area and beyond shared a meal together and heard from guest speakers Karla Braun and Zachary Rempel.

After a potluck meal provided by CAWG members, Karla, a writer and editor with Mennonite World Conference, shared about her appreciation for Doris Janzen Longacre’s nearly fifty-year old book, Living More with Less. This classic book of Mennonite prophetic wisdom has prompted a revival of sustainable living in an age even more affected by climate change and economic inequality than Janzen Longacre’s day was.

Karla highlighted Janzen Longacre’s five principles as old guides for a new day: learn from the world community, cherish the natural order, do justice, nonconform freely, and nurture people. “Our efforts—however small they seem—are bigger than our own lives,” Karla said. “We can nurture people, act in tune with nature, respect lessons from around the world, and do justice as we demonstrate—and sometimes demand—more-with-less ways of living.”

Zachary is a policy analyst with the International Institute for Sustainable Development. He shared his own appreciation for Janzen Longacre’s book, connecting it in his follow-up remarks to the “de-growth movement” promoted by authors such as Jason Hickel in his book, Less Is More: How Degrowth Will Save the World. Zachary described Janzen Longacre’s book as a “political statement,” noting the way she spoke of happenings in the world of her time right alongside reflection on biblical texts.

Living More with Less, suggested Zachary, even points to the reversal of colonialism: it highlights “how we should be impacted by people in other countries, not how can we impact them,” and it shares critiques of North American materialism from others around the world.

A lively conversation between Zachary and Karla followed their presentations, and audience members asked questions of their own around balancing idealism and realism in our climate action, on managing our guilt over our environmentally impactful choices, and more.

“It was wonderful to partner with Seeds Church, Altona Mennonite, and Altona Bergthaler to host the event in Altona,” says Marta Bunnett Wiebe, co-chair of the CAWG. “The warm welcome and support we received certainly made the evening feel like we were being the church together.”

Prayerfully consider what you can do to “live more with less,” living sustainably in a warming world. To give financially to support the efforts of the Climate Action Working Group, or to MCM or MC Canada generally for this work, see www.mennochurch.mb.ca/giving.